After the World Ended
by littlerose23
Summary: The 100 landed on Earth thinking they were alone. Now years later, the Eligius crew have done the same thing. This time Clarke is the 'grounder' and she's been taken captive. A look at 5x03 from the P.O.V. of Shaw. One-shot, but may continue if there is interest.


_Author's Note: To those of you who read my other 100 stories I'm sorry for my absence. I swear I haven't given up on them I just completely and utterly lost my spark. But this little one popped into my head when I started watching season 5, so I scrambled to get it written in the hopes that it might help to rekindle my mojo._

* * *

 **After the World Ended**

When they woke up on their ship - from a hundred years sleep - to find the planet below them completely decimated, Shaw was relieved, although he would never admit that.

He was relieved that there was no one left to hold them accountable for the coup the miners led, the coup that he had helped with, by taking the side of convicted criminals over his fellow officers. There was no air force to shoot them down, no government to arrest them. He was also relieved that a barren planet meant no resistance, it meant Colonel Diyoza and her people couldn't inflict mayhem and violence on innocent and unsuspecting civilians. The fact that the world had already ended meant a ship full of hardened and vindictive criminals wasn't the threat he had feared it would be; they couldn't destroy a world that was already dead.

Realising that they weren't actually alone in the tiny pocket of paradise sparked a flame of dread deep in his gut.

As Shaw watched McCreary drag a captured woman into the village the dread spread from his gut up into his chest in a burning wave. He was disgusted by the maniacal grin stretching across McCreary's face as he yanked violently at the blonde. But the woman didn't struggle or protest at the rough treatment, she just silently stumbled along as McCreary brought her through the jeering crowd towards Diyoza and threw her to the ground. Every muscle in Shaw's body tensed in trepidation as he helplessly watched on.

"Let me see her face." Diyoza ordered. Shaw stepped closer, drawn forward by the hellish drama unfolding before his eyes, and moved to stand beside Diyoza as McCreary grabbed at the woman, grasping a fistful of blonde hair and yanking her head up sharply.

Still she didn't cry out and she didn't try to fight. He could hear her labored breathing though, and could only imagine the terror that must be overwhelming her. The piercing blue stare that was revealed to them hit Shaw like a punch. Their captive was young, younger than all of them. And she was staring at them with a hardened contempt that surprised him. She stared up at the Colonel without an ounce of fear and boldly held her gaze.

He recovered from his momentary shock and felt the dread roiling inside him - she was a slip of a girl, she was young, and even roughed up she was pretty. This observation increased his trepidation, a prisoner was bad enough, an attractive female prisoner was a disaster. But he was getting ahead of himself, that was a problem for later because right now, no matter how young or attractive she was this girl had provoked the restless anger of dozens of seasoned criminals. His heart sped up and his palms began to sweat. She was no match for them. He had to do something, divide their attention, break their focus.

Shaw tore his gaze from the blonde and glared at McCreary.

"You only caught one?" Shaw goaded the older man. It worked. McCreary released the girl with a shove and turned to face Shaw with a hateful scowl.

"Only saw one." He snarled pulling himself up to his fullest height. Shaw turned to Colonel Diyoza who was still staring at the fearless captive with intense scrutiny.

"I highly doubt she acted alone." He said. Diyoza's gaze snapped to him for a moment then turned back to the girl with a hard stare.

"How many others in the woods?" her tone was cold and demanding. It was met with silence.

Shaw felt a burst of admiration for this strong young woman, she was on her knees surrounded by some of the worst human beings he had ever encountered and under the weight of the Colonel's stare her expression remained scornful and unflinching. Diyoza gave a nod to McCreary and instantly Shaw's admiration for her strength was smothered by dismay. McCreary swung out at the girl, catching her hard across the mouth with a powerful fist and sending her toppling sideways. She hit the ground hard and grunted in pain.

Shaw couldn't control his instinctive response to look away. Tension seized the muscles of his shoulders and a familiar dread tightened his chest as he turned his back on them. He couldn't watch them brutalise this girl, but he couldn't walk away and leave her alone with them. Whatever they did to her would be his fault, he was responsible for setting these criminals free. He shifted restlessly on the spot, he kept his back to the scene, but he focused his attention on what he could hear happening behind him.

"Answer the question." McCreary hissed. Her defiant silence rang in his ears and made his heart pound. Shaw braced for the sound of another blow with his teeth gritted.

"Not yet." he heard Diyoza say.

"Colonel?" McCreary questioned sounding irritated.

"I have a feeling this is going to take a while. Take her inside."

Shaw spun back to face them and watched McCreary haul the girl to her feet. He saw the grimace that pulled at her mouth before she schooled her features to be carefully blank. For a split-second Shaw was torn between following McCreary so he could keep the blonde in his sight, but he knew if he was to have any hope of helping the girl he needed to convince Diyoza to show mercy - she was the only one capable of it.

"Secure the perimeter." Diyoza ordered the rest of the camp. "Her people will come for her and we'll be ready for them."

"Colonel she's our only lead to what happened here." Shaw tried to reason with her "Using McCreary for this is a bad idea."

"She killed four of our people." She retorted coldly.

"Yes. But after we landed on their valley and we took their village." Shaw pressed. Diyoza considered him for a moment before nodding.

"Okay good cop, you're with me."

Inside the dilapidated old church McCreary had pulled a chair to the center of the room and was tying the girl to it when they arrived. Shaw watched him as he pulled the ropes too tight around her. She didn't move, didn't make a sound. McCreary leaned into her as he stood up, his eyes roaming over her as he towered above her. His gaze was penetrating and intimidating, and it made Shaw bristle, a sudden spike of anger poked at him. But to his amazement and McCreary's irritation the girl remained unfazed by his leering examination, she held his cold gaze firmly. Shaw's fists clenched tightly at his sides as he wondered whether she was incredibly brave or ridiculously stupid.

Then McCreary struck, smacking her hard across the face. The girl grunted in pain and Shaw sprang forward before he had processed the decision, grabbed McCreary's shoulder and yanked him back.

"Hey! We need her." McCreary spun on him, clamping a hand around his neck and ramming him backwards into a wall.

"Enough!" Diyoza yelled, but neither man released his bruising hold. "That's enough." She repeated when the stalemate continued.

"He's not one of us." McCreary growled, his fingers squeezing around Shaw's throat. "We've lost four men and he doesn't even care."

"He is one of us. None of us is here without Shaw." She reminded McCreary and a cold and bitter guilt settled in Shaw's stomach at the reminder that this was all his fault. Every hit that girl had taken might as well have come from his own fist. Everything that would happen to her and her people sat on his shoulders, because he set these monsters free. His grip on McCreary's shoulder tightened painfully in anger.

"None of us is here without me either." McCreary spat at Diyoza. "You should remember that." He released Shaw's neck and shoved him off.

"Take a team and sweep the woods for her friends." Diyoza ordered. McCreary grudgingly followed the command, shoulder-checking Shaw on his way out. Shaw's heart thundered in his chest, anger racing through him.

"You see this?" The Colonel's question brought his attention back to the young blonde, and he saw the black stain on the floor at the leg of the chair. Frowning Shaw stepped closer, crouching down to inspect the wet patch. It was blood. His first thought immediately following this observation was: _The girl was wounded on top of everything else?_ Then the realization came to him a second behind that: _Black blood._

"Blood alteration." He muttered, thinking aloud as he looked up at her in wonder. This girl was such a mystery. An anomaly. Her expression was still carefully empty, but Shaw was closer now than before, he could see the sheen of sweat over her brow and wondered whether it was from pain or fear. He noted the split in her lip and the slight swelling. He could see the warm gold of her skin caused by long days of sunshine and the magenta coloured streak dyed through her wavy blond locks. He would bet that she wasn't far into her twenties, but those piercing blue eyes swam with secrets and ghosts, she had seen too much in her life already.

"That must be how they've survived down here." Diyoza commented, then she picked up the radio and requested a med kit. She pulled up a chair, put it directly in front of the blonde and sat down. "We got off on the wrong foot. We didn't know anyone was alive down here. We just wanted to get back home. Imagine our surprise when there was no home to get back to. Then your people started killing mine, you can understand why I'm upset. Just like you were upset when we took your village. But no one else needs to die. Tell me what I need to know."

The tension that had strained the muscles in his shoulders eased in a wave of relief. This was the mercy and reason he knew Diyoza was capable of, she would be this girl's salvation. Threats and violence didn't have to be their only options. But seconds became minutes and still the silence stretched between them, filling the room with a suffocating pressure.

His relief became confusion, and his confusion became worry. This was an olive branch. The girl was injured and bound to a chair and yet she sat proud, and rigid, and unwavering. Shaw didn't understand.

"Maybe she doesn't speak English."

"She speaks English." Diyoza's tone was cold "She looks at the radio every time a patrol checks in." She told him without taking her eyes off of the girl. She leaned forward in her seat. "You don't want to talk that's fine. Let's see what happens when we find whoever it is your protecting." She reached for her radio and issued a new order. "Change of plans; no more prisoners. Shoot to kill."

For the first time Shaw saw a reaction, it was nothing big, but there was definitely a hint of panic shinning in her eyes. The sight of it swamped Shaw with a feeling of dread once more. It was an exhausting cycle: from hope to dread, over and over. What would happen next? How could he save her if she wouldn't save herself?

The med kit was brought in. It was a terrible consolation to think that he might only patch up her injury in time for them to inflict new ones on her. But at that moment it was the only useful thing he could think to do. But he waited for Diyoza to give the order before he reached for the kit, not wanting to tip her off to how much he wanted to help this girl, knowing Diyoza she would send him away out of spite if she knew.

"Shaw," Diyoza stood from her seat and pointed to the med kit left on the table. "Patch her up. We're going to have to wait her out. We can't do that if she bleeds out first." Shaw nodded, careful to keep his expression neutral. "I'm going to get us some food. Radio if there's any change." Shaw waited until the church door closed and he heard Diyoza's footsteps walking away before he sat down on the chair facing the girl.

"Why won't you talk to us?" he questioned softly as he looked deep into her soulful blue eyes. "I get that we're the bad guys here," there was a strain in his tone now, one of guilt and self-loathing. "We invaded your home and now we're holding you captive, but Diyoza can be reasonable." Her face was blank, but she met his gaze with rapt attention. "You need to work with her, meet her halfway." She lowered her eyes to her lap, her shoulders stiffening. Shaw sighed. "She's your only chance of fair treatment."

Why had she looked away, like she was unwilling to even hear about working with them? He watched her closely, she looked exhausted, with her head hanging low and her shoulders drooped.

"Will you let me take a look at your wound?" he asked. She looked back up at him and Shaw could see the tiredness that had bled into her expression before she forced it away again. She regarded him carefully but didn't respond. He hadn't expected her to. Slowly he slid out of his chair and down onto his knees. Opening the med kit, he sat it on the chair and then, moving very slowly and deliberately he reached a hand towards her jacket and pulled it aside. He could see a patch on her side, just on top of her hip that was damp with black blood. Shaw glanced up at her face and met her blue gaze. There was no fear or uncertainty in her eyes and she hadn't flinched away from him, but she stared intently, holding his gaze, as though she were searching his eyes for something.

"I'm going to roll your shirt up, just at your hip. Okay?" It wasn't until, he asked the question that Shaw realised he wouldn't do it without her permission. It would feel like too much of a violation with her tied up and defenseless to resist. Thankfully this time she answered. A jerk of her head that he took to be a nod of assent. Again, his movements were slow as he reached for the fabric of her shirt, carefully pealed it away from her skin and folded it up an inch, then another, until the bleeding was exposed. He leaned closer to get a better looked and felt rather than heard her draw in a breath.

"Looks like it's just a flesh wound. It has more or less stopped bleeding." He drew back and reached for some gauze and disinfectant. "I need to clean it I'm afraid. Then I can stick a bandage on it and it should heal up just fine." He soaked the gauze in disinfectant as he spoke. "This will sting." As gently as he could he cleaned the wound. She drew in another sharp breath and then remained still and silent as he worked. It wasn't until he was taping a clean and dry strip of gauze in place over the graze that he dared to ask her what he had been wanting to since Diyoza had left.

"Will you at least tell me your name?" He looked up at her and was surprised and encouraged by what he saw. Her lips remained steadfastly mute, but her features were no longer stubbornly frozen. Instead an expression of curiosity lit her face. He took in the frown that pressed at her brows and the intelligence glittering in her eyes and he couldn't contain the smile that burst out at the tiny glimpse of the girl hiding behind the defiant mask. "No? Well, everyone calls me Shaw."

At that moment the door opened and Diyoza walked back in carrying a tray of rations. Disappointment rushed through him, chased by the slight burst of adrenaline at almost getting caught.

"We all good here?" Diyoza asked. Shaw snapped the med kit shut and stood up.

"Yeah. It was nothing serious, it's cleaned and bandaged up."

"Good. Eat." She nodded to the tray she had placed on the table and he obeyed.

Shaw and Diyoza both ate. Others joined them; ate food, played cards, stared at the captive. Hours ticked by, people came and went, most got fed up with the silent vigil. Daylight faded, and darkness settled in.

Shaw watched the blond in awe. She must have been cold, tired, sore, hungry, thirsty, scared and any number of other things. But she sat there, still and silent, even as her captors drifted in and out of the room. She must have smelt the food, must have heard the conversations about her that were muttered in small groups around the room. Conversation about what would happen to her, about what methods they could use to get _'such a pretty little thing'_ to talk for them. Shaw heard them all, and they made his blood boil with anger. But she showed no sign of noticing, she had all but melted into the furniture of the room, her head bowed with fatigue. Her expression grew more tired and was often saturated with worry as the radio reports filtered through, but then she would return to an inner calm, as though she retreated into herself and zoned-out her surroundings.

Diyoza was called from outside and moved to the door to resolve whatever matter she was needed for. Shaw took the opportunity to take the girl some water. He had wanted to give her something since his own meager meal had arrived but hadn't dared. But hours had passed, and the blond had been given nothing. From the minute he stood her eyes were on him and she watched as he approached her with a flask and held it out for her to drink. She gulped thirstily then nodded in thanks. With a cautious glance towards the door Shaw knelt before her.

"Come on what harm can come from telling me your name?" She dropped her gaze to her lap. "Well believe it or not you are still the best company I've had in over 100 years." Her head tilted back up. There was that spark again as he snared her curiosity. There was something addictive about gaining her interest. He felt it was a small achievement, like he was gaining some ground with her, gradually wearing down her walls. Another glance towards the door showed him Diyoza still deep in conversation so he sat down in the seat facing her again and started to talk.

"This is where you lived isn't it." She didn't answer only help his gaze. "Do you know this used to be a church? It reminds me of the church where I grew up." That swirl of curiosity, of intelligence, stirred in her eyes again and he cold have sworn that something about her expression softened ever so slightly. And as soon as he admitted that out loud he felt a stab of grief. It was a swell inside of the devastation he had suppressed deep in his chest at how monumentally disappointing their return to earth had been. With a rising melancholy he told her about his hometown, realising with a heavy heart that it had been obliterated years ago. But as he thought of his hometown, long forgotten memories floated to the surface, memories of happier times. He told her about his bike – the love of his life – and recollecting became less painful and more poignant. Despite how one-sided it was - it really was the best conversation he'd had in years. She watched him with open interest that made her eyes sparkle a brilliant blue and his heart swelled with pride.

But then the radio crackled to life and a transmission came through, ripping them out of their moment of distraction.

They jerked in their seats, heads whipping around to the radio.

 _"Someone just came out of that cave."_

Shaw turned back to her, she was staring at the radio, her eyes widened with panic and her breathing accelerated as she sat transfixed with fear. Shaw sat up straight, startled by the sudden flood of emotion that washed over the blonde. Colonel Diyoza marched over, her attention also riveted to the radio as the exchanges between the team filter through.

 _"She's changed direction."_  
 _"Heading north to cut her off."_  
 _"I've got a shot."_

"No!" Both Shaw and Diyoza's heads snapped to the brave young captive. "She's just a child." Her voice was horse and cracked from disuse. "Please." She pleaded desperately.

Something inside him twisted uncomfortably at her obvious distress. She struggled in her seat, the ropes chaffing angrily against her skin as she strained helplessly against her bindings. For hours she had been unshakable but now they had found her weakness and she was crumbling under the pressure. They had broken her, and the visceral pain of her defeat was almost unbearable for Shaw to witness. He looked to Diyoza, hoping this was their chance: Diyoza could show compassion, and deals could be made.

"She speaks." Diyoza said with delight. Disappointment fell like a physical weight in Shaw's stomach. "How many others?"

"None! It's just the two of us. I'm begging you, don't shoot." Diyoza stared her in the eyes as she brought the radio to her mouth.

"Fire at will." She instructed. Shaw watched on helplessly as terror gripped the blonde. Her slight frame trembled, and her eyes darted wildly about as she listened intently to the radio.

 _"To the east, movement beneath the trees."_  
 _"She's heading for the river, do you have her?"_  
 _"Behind those twin rocks."_

Her chest heaved as she gasped through a tearless sob.

"I know where they are!" she announced. "That's our summer hunting grounds. She's leading them into a trap!"

She stared at Diyoza and in that moment time slowed down for Shaw, he could see – as the girl did – that Diyoza was holding all the cards, she was at her mercy. And in that moment, while the radio narrated for them, the hunting of this girl's loved one, Shaw saw a petrified and vulnerable young woman. The despair etched on her face was the expression he had expected to see since McCreary had dragged her into the village. They were suspended in that moment for a fraction of a second and then he saw in the depth of her blue eyes the moment that it changed.

Her face hardened, her body straightened, and her eyes blazed with fury. "Listen to me." She barked in an abrupt burst of rage. Authority seemed to emanate from her as she pinned Diyoza with a glare that promised vengeance. "If they don't stop right now your team will die." It was said with such forceful strength that both Shaw and the Colonel were taken aback. They shared a brief stunned look. And just like that she had taken control of the situation.

"I believe her." Shaw said to Diyoza.

"Let her go and I'll tell you everything." The girl promised. Diyoza hesitated as she scrutinized her, then she picked up the radio.

"Stand down."

 _"Standing down."_ Came the disgruntled reply.

"McCreary check the area for traps" Diyoza ordered. There was several minutes of silence.

 _"Son of a bitch! There's a god damn bear trap."_ McCreary cursed furiously through the radio.  
 _"I've got another one over here."_

Diyoza and Shaw both regard the blond girl with a combination of shock and respect, but she wasn't paying attention anymore. She was slumped in her seat. Her relief was palpable, it had swept over her like a wave of exhaustion, causing her to sag in her bonds. Her hard shell was gone and the remnants of the stress she had just endured pinched at her mouth and creased her brow. But her fear was gone, replaced by resignation. Shaw realised that her greatest fear was never for herself but her young friend in the woods. The strength and resistance she had displayed had all been driven by a protective motive rather than self-preservation. Despite her lack of fear for herself, in Shaw's eyes, she now seemed weak and vulnerable for the first time: her walls were down, her exterior broken, her agenda was resolved and now it was just her.

Just her. A nameless young blonde girl, with blue eyes and black blood, tied to a chair in an old church, held captive by a horde of criminals.

She realised Diyoza was watching her, calmly met her gaze and surprised both Diyoza and Shaw by speaking.

"Thank you." She said sincerely to Diyoza.

"Thank you for telling the truth." Diyoza responded. "As long as you keep doing that you'll both stay alive, understand?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now let's begin. Start with how the world ended."

Both Diyoza and Shaw were caught off guard again when a wry smile curled her lips. With a humourless chuckle that scratched along her dry throat, her eyes unfocused and she seemed to get lost for a moment in a conjured image. Her resistance was gone but her strength remained, it was just a different kind of strength. They had caught a glimpse of her ruthless side a moment ago and it was there still, just beneath the surface, as she rolled her shoulders out, cocked an eyebrow and asked the Colonel a question that stunned the room into silence.

"Okay. Which time?"

* * *

 _So, what do you think? Anyone want me to keep going with this one?_


End file.
